Dispensing rack



Nov. 21, 1939. P, WLTON 2,180,641

DI SPENS ING RACK Filed'Feb. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

1N VE m W# ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1939. R MILTON 2,180,641

DISPENSING RACK Filed Feb. 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENT OR.

ATToRNEY Patented Nov. 21, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,180,641 DIsPnNsrNG RACK Peter Milton, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Socony-Vacuum Gil Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York.

Appncarion February 5, 1937, serial No. 124,197 1 claim. (Crais-14o!) This invention relates to improvements in dispensing racks. It is customary for oil distributors and similar concerns to store oil and other liquids in drums holding approximately fty-ve gallons, and the contents of these large containers is then dispensed as needed into smaller fiveor ten-gallon cans for delivery to retailers. The fifty-five gallon drums are provided with dispensing spouts and must be elevated to such a point and so supported that the spout will properly discharge into one of the smaller cans. Heretofore a number of dispensing racks have been provided which are capable of elevating and supporting a-fiftyfive gallon drum in a sufciently high position to' dispense its contents into five-gallon cans. These racks, however, are not constructed to permit discharge into ten-gallon cans. The only available devices suitable for use with cans of this latter size are either so difcult to operate that it requires more than one man to position a fty-five gallon drum in the rack and elevate the same to dispensing position, or-else the devices are so complicated and expensive as to render their use impractical for this limited purpose. It isa general object of the present invention to provide a simple and relatively inexpensive device of the class described so constructed that av nity-five gallon drum can be positioned therein and elevated by one man, the drum after being elevated attaining a suiilcient height to permit discharge into either iiveor ten-gallon containers.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a dispensing rack having a drum supporting portion which is movable from an inclined drum loading position with one end adjacent the oor to an unusually high elevated dispensing position.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device as above described, novel mechanism operable by one man for raising the drum supporting portion from loading position to the elevated dispensing position.

A more specic object of the invention is to provide a dispensing rack wherein said raising mechanism includes links forming a toggle joint and screw means for movingsaid links.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing rack consisting of two substantially triangular frame portions, one of said triangular frame portions forming a base, and the other triangular frame portion being'inverted in position and forming a rack and having its lowermost point pivotally connected to the uppermost point of said first frame portion so that the free end of the rack is movable from an inclined loading position to an elevated dispensing position.V

Y A further object of theinvention is to provide an improved dispensing rack which is relatively small in size,V strong and durable, and well adaptedior the purposes described. v i

With the above and other objects in View, the inventionconsistsof an improved dispensing rack andl all itsparts and `combinations as set forth in the claim,and all equivalentsV thereof.

in the accompanying drawings illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention in which the same reference numorals designate the same parts in all the views:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the dispensing rack in loading position, a drum being shown adjacent thereto in upright position (full lines) and in loaded position `(dot-and-da'sh lines) Fig.--2 is a perspective View of the rack in dispensing position, the dot-and-.dashlines showing is y parts being broken away and shown in section; v

and

Fighe i's'an enlarged detail view of the toggle joint and associated screw mechanism, dot-andldash lines. indicating the positions of the parts when the rack is in loading position and the full lines indicating ,the positions of the parts when the rack-fis in dispensing position.

Referring more'particularly to the drawings, the deviceconsists in general of two substantially triangular frame parts 5 and 6,. the part 5 forming a basevan'd the part lil forming a movable.

supportingy rack. y

The frame portion E has its bottom formed of a plurality of angle irons l, 8, 9 and Il), or

other suitable structural material, secured together in a rectangular formation. Extending upwardly from each end of the angle member Illv are upright portions II and the upper ends of said members I I are in turn connected by a member l2 of angle iron or other suitable material. The upper ends of the uprights II are connected by other members I3 with the ends of the bottoml member t. The result is a substantially triangular frame wherein the uprights I I correspond to the short legs of the triangle, and wherein the structed of parts I to I 3' inclusive. 'Ihe part ID of the upper frame portion 6 is however not positioned directly at the corner of the frame. In addition, the members 'I' and 9 are connected by concave bands III for supporting the drum.

The lower ends of the members I I have lugs I5 depending therefrom and the upper ends of the members Il have lugs I6 projecting upwardly. A channel I'I opening toward the interior of the frame and having closed ends is positioned between the lugs I5. Pivot bolts I8 on each side extending through the lugs I5 and I6 and the ends `of the channel II pivotally connect the upper frame portion 6 to the lowerframe portion 5 and at the same time pivotally connect the channel I'l between the lugs.

While it is contemplated that various means may be employed for pivotally moving the upper frame portion 6, nevertheless the particular mechanism shown is highly e'icient. This mechanism includes links I9 pivotally connected at their upper ends as at 2G to the frame 6 and links 2| pivotally connected at their lower ends as at 22 to the frame 5. All of said links converge toward one another to an intermediate point in the interior of the frame work where they are pivotally connected together and to the end of a clevis 23 by a pivot bolt 2d (see Fig. 3). The outer end ofthe clevis has a nut 25 secured therein and a screw 26 projecting from the clevis is cooperable with said nut. The outer end of the screw 26 projects rotatably through the channel I 1, as shown in Fig. 4, and through a group of washers 21 adjacent the closed side of the channel, the portion of the screw which 'passes through the channel and the washers being unthreaded. The extreme outer end portion of the screw which projects from the washer is flattened as at 28 to cooperate with a squared aperture in a crank handle 29, and said iiattened outer end has its side portions threaded as at 30 for the reception of a lock nut 3|.

Any suitable means may be employed in connection with the base portion 5 for facilitating movement of the rack over the oor. For example, a single roller 35 may be used at one end of the device as shown or rollers may be employed at both ends. It is also possible to utilize casters at the corners of the base.

In the use of the device, a drum 32, usually of the fty-ve gallon capacity, is placed in upright positionV adjacent the end of the dispensing rack opposite the crank handle as shown in Fig. 1. One man can then readily tilt the drum to the dot-and-dash line position of Fig. 1 and lift its lower end upwardly within the end portion 8 of the rack so that the curvature of the .drum ts against the ends I4. Then by turning the crank 29, the clevis 23 is pulled toward the crank handle by the screw action to move the links I9 and 2I from the dot-and-dash line position of Fig. 4 to the full line position therein. During such movement, the screw and clevis must also pivot and this is taken care of by having the outer end of the screw extending through the pivotally mounted channel II. During such movement of the links, by the screw action, the frame portion 6 and drum carried thereby are moved from the position of Fig. 1 to the position of Fig. 2.

It is to be noted that the particular frame arrangement provides for elevation in a simple manner to an unusual height, considering the simplicity of the structure. This is brought about because of the fact that the pivot I8 between the frame portions 5 and 6 is located a substantial distance above the floor and because said pivot is also located a substantial distance below the drum supporting portion of the rack. The result of the structure is that the drum is elevated a distance equal to twice the height of the upright members I I of the base, or at a height amply sufcient to permit placing of a, ten-gallon container 33 below the spout 34 of the drum. The screw and toggle arrangement is also employed for lowering the drum after its contents have been discharged, and the lowering is accomplished by merely rotating the crank in a reverse direction.

Racks now on the market, having the simplicity of construction of the present invention, are only capable of elevating a drum to about half the height possible with the present invention, and therefore drums supported by these prior racks are not at a suicient elevation to permit the insertion of a ten-gallon container there-beneath.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claim.

What I claim is:

A dispensing rack comprising a base, uprghts rising from one end of said base on opposite sides thereof, a frame member including inverted L shaped sides which are pivotally connected at one end to said uprights whereby said frame is adapted to swing in a vertical plane, the ends 

